Mastermind behind Osama bin Laden capture is top choice to lead University of Texas system

On Tuesday evening, the University of Texas System Board of Regents named the sole finalist for the position of chancellor. The regents unanimously selected Navy Admiral William McRaven to replace Francisco Cigarroa, who will leave his position in December.

McRaven graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 1977, and recently returned to give a 2014 commencement speech that has garnered more than 2.2 million views on YouTube. A Navy SEAL for 36 years, McRaven may be best known for overseeing the U.S. military raid in 2011 that killed Osama bin Laden, the mastermind behind the 9/11 terrorist attacks. In 2011, he was runner-up for Time magazine’s Person of the Year.

State Sen. Kirk Watson released the following statement regarding the selection.

I’m encouraged by the UT System Board’s selection of Admiral William McRaven as the sole finalist for the next UT System Chancellor. The value of Admiral McRaven’s service to our state and nation cannot be overstated, and I’m confident that he will continue to be a strong leader and dedicated public servant. The contributions of the UT System institutions are a reason for so much Texas pride. I look forward to working with Admiral McRaven to continue their long tradition of academic accomplishment, first-class research, educational excellence, and success."